Radial railway and tramway truck.



No. 819,189. PATBNTED MAY 1. 1906. J. s. WARNER.

RADIAL RAILWAY AND TBAMWAY TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV, 2, 1905- 2 SHEETHSHEET 1.

No. 819,189. PATENTED MAY 1. 1906. J. S. WARNER. RADIAL RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY TRUCK.

APPLICATION FILED NOV- 2, 19 05.

Fig. .5.

2 SHEETSSHEBT z.

I 1 Fig.0. 5'

Wflrzesses UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

RADIAL RAILWAY AND TRAMWAY TRUCK.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 1, 1906.

Application filed November 2, 1905. Serial No 285.647.

To (17/ zc/wm it may concern:

Be it known that l, JAuEs Sv'rHERLAxD YARNER. A. M. I. Mech. E., a subject of the King of Great Britain. residing at Glen Deep, Disraeli Road, Forest Gate, Essex, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Radial Railway and Tramway Trucks, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to railway and tramway trucks of the kind known as radial" axle trucks or vehicles, and has for its object to provide improved means for connecting the axles and vehicle in order to reduce the friction between the parts when the wheels move rela-. tively with the vehicle-frame and at the same time to cushion the movement.

In carrying out my invention as applied to a tramway radial truck of the type wherein the motor suspension is a central pivotal point about which the motor, axle. axleboxes, and wheels may otate in a horizontal plane I connect the truck-frame to the axleboxes by suspension-links so arranged that they connect the journals and the truckframe and control their relative movement, their swing being approximately through an arc having at its center the aforesaid pivotal point. \Vhen the vehicle is running in a straight line, the links are advantageously vertical, although they may be arranged so that they are inclined toward or away from each other.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a portion of a radial truck having the improvements applied there to. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is a sect-ion on the line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 1, illustrating a modification. Fig. 6 is a lan view thereof, and Figs. 7 and S are a sit e view and a plan view, respectively, illustrating a modified form of suspension.

Referring first to the construction illustrated in Figs. 1 to 4, a is the upper partof the truck-frame, upon which the body of the vehicle rests, and b is the lower part of the said frame, this frame I) being formed 'with the yokes c 0, within which extend the axle boxes (I (I, carrying the axle e and mounted in the subtruckframef, which is pivoted at the point 9 in the truck-frame a b.

Each of the axle-boxes d has placed upon its upper side and extending across the same a plate 72 the said plate 71 being provided at each end with a horn orbcaring i, projecting laterally from the axlc-boxand at such-an inclination thereto that their longitudinal axes when continued would intersect at the afore said pivotal center g, as clearly shown in Fig. 2. Upon each of the bearings or horns i there is freely suspended a link j, having at its lower end a head 1;, supporting a washer Z, upon which rests the lower end of a spiral spring 271. The upper ends of these springs support the aforementioned frame b,so that the weight of the vehicle is transmitted'from the truck through the springs m m and linksj j to the axle-boxes (I of the. vehicle. \Yith this construction it will be seen that when the vehicle is entering and running on a curved track the wheels )2 can at first move later ally relatively with the frame I) with a minimum of friction, owing to the link suspension, the upper ends of the links moving through circular arcs around the point g as a center and the links a;ssuming an inclination which varies with the radius of curvature of the track.

In practice it is advantageous to make use of flexible links, and this may be effected" either by jointing the same, as shown at 0 0, Fig. 1, or by employing chain-links. Furthermore, additional washers I may be provided to raise the height of the truck-frame, this being sometimes requiredas, for in stance, when wheels are worn down or when a pair of new wheels at one end of the vehicle. is used with, a pair of worn wheels at the other end thereof.

In the construction just described each axle-box (I is secured to the subtruck-framef by means of the bolts p p, and this arrangement is open to the disadvantages that the bolts p are placed in a position which is difficult of access and that the links j j cannot be attached and detached or the boxes (I (Z removed with facility. To overcome these disadvantages, I may employ the construction shown in Figs. 5 and 6. In this arrangement the subtruck-frame f is cast or made in one piece with the plates 72, the under side of each of the said plates 71 and the top of each axle-box (I being made with transverse ridges g g, so that the two parts lock together when their, plate is placed in position. This allows any box (1 to be instantly drawn off for inspection after the frames 0 and f have been slightly raised.

To enable the links j to be, placed in posi-- to Fig. 6.

2 eiai ee:

I eon with facility,the plate his provided with recesses r 1' for the introduction of the'heads.

of the links and with holes 8, which are ac cessible from lateral recesses t t to permit of pms u a being passed through the eyes of the linksj." These pins are retained in place. when the plate h is 1placed in positionupon the axle-boX d, as wi be obvious on referring In the constructions above-described I have illustrated the employment of spiralorj helical springs m between the. links and the frame 6," but it will be obvious that other such as semi-elliptical forms of spring, sprlngs, may be employed. Figs; '7 and 8 illustrate an arrangement ofthis kind. The

limbs of the stirrup "a. stopped on a sharp curve the body would links in this construction are formed in one piece, as the stirrup i), which 'is placed diago nally across the top of the axle-bbxd, its two lower ends passing through a plate w, which is supporte upon nuts upon the said lower ends and serves to itself support the semielllptical spring y, extending between the two float inward upon the links and by carrying.

the pivots 9 also inward tend to straighten out thewheels and lock'the flanges of the lat- 1 ter against the rails, I advantageously transversely elongate the hole in the. truck-frame through which the pivot g passes, as shown at g, Fig. 2. The elongated hole is made of such a length that it extends on each side of the center a distance equal to one-fourth of the extreme swing of the subtruck-fiamemeasured laterally.

Having now particularly described and certained the natureof my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is w 1. Ina radial railway and tramway truck, the combination with 'a vehicle-supporting frame, of a subtruck-frame provided ,with a pin adapted to engage with a slot in said vehide-supporting frame, axle-boxes connect-- ed to said subtruck-frame, an axle mounted in said axle-boxes, wheels mounted "on said axle and connections between said axle-boxes and said supporting-frame whereby said axle and wheels mayt'inovt transversely and longitudinally ofithe vehicle, substantially as axles, and links'iconneqtingi said a As when a vehicle is rups which straddl tionto the longitudinal axis thereof and sup:

bigitudinally -venue, assent-any described. I I

Y 3. In a-radial or tramway truck, the'combination with a vehicle-supporting frame, of alower frame yieldi'n'gly supporting said yehide-supportingframe, ."axle-boxes, an axle xle boxes and 'saidlower frame'f-whereby said axles and mounted therein, wheels mountedon said wheels maymove transversely and longitu 'dinallyof the vehicle, substantially as described. y

.4. Ina radialor'tramway truck, the combination with a vehicle '-supporting frame, oi

a lower frame yieldingly supporting said vehicle-supporting frame, axle-boxes, an axle mounted therein, wheels 'mount'edon said axles, links connected to said axle-boxes passing through. orifices in said lower frame,

yielding connections between said links-and said frame hereby said axle and wheels maymove transversely. and longitudinally-oi the vehicle,isub'stantiall as described.

5. In a radial rail way or tramway truck. the combination with the axle-boxes of stirthe same. at aninclinaport springs .carrying'the truck-frame, substantially as described.

6. In a radial-railway or tramway truck, the combination with the axle-boxes of plates having horns or pivots for supporting inc-lined. to and carrying the truck. frame through the medium of springs, substantially as described. a 1

7. In a radial railway or tramway truck, the combination with the axle-boxes of plates integral-with the pivoted subtruck-framd and adapted to-rest upon .the axle-boxes, thdsaid plates being recessed to receive the heads of links pivoted thereto and carr 'ng the truck-frame through the medium o springs, substantially as described.

8. In a radial railway and tramway truck,

the combination with a vehicle-supporting frame,.of a lower frame yieldingly supportlng' the same, axle-boxes, plates on'said axleboxes and provided with pivot-pins having their longitudinal axes extending toward the same point, links fulcrumed on said pins and extending through orifices in saidlowe'r frame and yielding connections between said links and said frame, substantially as described.

JAMES SUTHERLAND W lma:

Witnesses:

JOHN E. Boosrmcm: A. ALBUT'E. 

